Here’s a delicious, restaurant-style recipe for Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Pasta that’s rich, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make at home:
Ingredients (Serves 2–3)
For the Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
For the Creamy Parmesan Pasta:
- 200 g (7 oz) pasta (fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Extra parsley for garnish
Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta
- Boil pasta according to package instructions in salted water until al dente.
- Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
2. Prepare the Chicken
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Make the Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add butter and garlic, cooking until fragrant (~1 min).
- Stir in lemon juice and zest.
- Return chicken to the pan, spooning sauce over it for 1–2 minutes.
4. Make the Creamy Parmesan Pasta
- In another pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in heavy cream and simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to reach desired creaminess.
5. Serve
- Plate the pasta and top with the lemon garlic butter chicken.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan.
- Optional: serve with a lemon wedge for extra zing.
💡 Tips:
- For extra flavor, marinate the chicken in olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice for 30 minutes before cooking.
- You can swap heavy cream with half-and-half for a slightly lighter version.
- Add a handful of spinach or cherry tomatoes to the pasta for color and freshness.
If you want, I can also make a one-pan version where the pasta cooks in the same skillet as the chicken, making cleanup super easy without sacrificing flavor. Do you want me to do that?
